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The BuiltTJpon House 



A King and Queen and Their Little Girl 



















































Boys and Girls Can Find the Built’Upon House 











































BUILT 
UPON HOUSE 



m by » 

JANET FELD HEATH 


ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

LLOYD J. DOTTERER 


albert'Xwhitman 

& CO 


CHICAGO 







Copyright 1929 
Albert Whitman & Co. 
Chicago, U. S. A. 


vu 

,U355 

Qll 



THE ARTISTIC LIBRARY 

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER 
By Patten Beard 

PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN 
Illustrated by James McCracken 

THE MAGIC HOUSE 
By Louise Harvey Buttler 

THE JOLLY LITTLE CLOWN 
By Eleanor F. Pease 


Printed in the U. S. A. 



m -■? ®>©c» 


17265 




Dedicated to 
Marietta 



"Have You Any Apples and Cookies?” 































































































































FOREWORD 


These stories have been selected for their un¬ 
usual settings. Their material is very diversified, 
including animals, fairies and angels. 

The title of the first story, “The Built-Upon 
House,” indicates the novel character of the story 
itself. It presents to the reader an unusual situa¬ 
tion relating to the love of two old people for 
animals. 

These two old people allowed the Grey Pussy 
Cat, the Brown Rabbit, the White Duck, the Two 
Doves as well as the Great Yellow Spider to build 
homes on their housetop. Among the immense 
quantity of plots for children's stories this is a 
newly-conceived idea. 

All the stories are calculated to please the child 
because of their success with the author's own 
children. Each story is sincere and natural, full of 
simple tenderness and warmth. Each is deftly and 
lightly done and very delightful; and offers a 
wholesome simplicity of narrative which all chil¬ 
dren will love. 


9 



CONTENTS 

Page 


The Built-Upon House. 13 

Travelers Three . 45 

The Happy Princess. 59 

The Best Thing in the World. 90 

Flops and the Fairy Cat. 103 

How Richard Named His Dog. 108 

The Little Lost Angel. 115 


10 












List of Illustrations 



Page 


Boys and Girls Can Find the Built- 

Upon House .Frontispiece 

“Have You Any Apples and 

Cookies?” . ° 

He Was the Only Baby the Little 
Old Man and the Little Old 
Woman Had Ever Had. 12 

How Cozy and Happy They Both 

Were . 19 


Along the Road One Day Came a 

Man and a Maid. 41 

They All Started Out to See the 

World . 47 

The Little Princess Never Dreamed 
What a Great Kingdom She 
Possessed . 67 

From Below Her Came a Lovely 
Little Voice, “It’s True! The 
Marks of Fairy Kisses Are on 
Her Forehead” . 75 

“Good Day, Madam,” Said They, 

Bowing Low . 97 

“Why Don’t You Put Thinkers on 
Your Feet?” Asked the Cat.... 105 


“Here, You Take It,” Said the Angel, 
Thrusting the Harp Into His 
Hands . n7 



jiqtterer. 


11 























yy/y 







He Was the Only Baby the Old Man and the Old Woman Had Ever Had 


l 


12 
































































The Built"Upon House 

Once upon a time there was a little old 
woman and a little old man. They lived 
in a little house exactly twelve feet square 
with a little garden at the side exactly 
eight feet long, and a little pond in front 
that was exactly ten feet across. 

There was a willow tree beside the 
pond and a hemlock tree beside the house, 
but the garden lay always wide open to 
the sun. In it the old man planted carrots 
and peas and cabbages and corn and the 
old woman planted pansies and mignon¬ 
ette and heartsease and sage. And on the 
pond there was a little white duck that 
swam about all day long. 

Now the old man and the old woman 
loved each other very dearly. They had 
lived together without a quarrel or a cross 
word for a great many years. In the day- 


13 


The Built-Upon House 


time they worked together in their garden 
or walked together in the woods, and in 
the evening the old man read aloud while 
the old woman knitted. 

When bedtime came they got up from 
their chairs together and the old man went 
over and wound the clock that stood on 
the mantel and the old woman went over 
and took down a pair of baby’s shoes that 
stood on the mantel beside the clock and 
kissed them very gently. The shoes be¬ 
longed to the only baby the old man and 
the old woman had ever had. He had gone 
away a long time ago and now the little 
shoes held all the dreams of their loving 
hearts. 

On the other side of the clock stood a 
china pig into which the old people had 
dropped all the savings of their hard¬ 
working years. Every week they shook 

14 



The Built-Upon House 


from the pig’s fat side a piece of money 
that could be spent that week for their 
modest needs. And so they lived in peace 
and contentment the seasons through. 

One day while they were sitting at their 
doorstep a grey pussy cat came along. 
She had a very worried expression on her 
face and in her mouth she carried a tiny 
grey kitten. Seeing the old people sitting 
there so quietly she stood for a moment 
looking at them, then came closer and 
rubbed against the old woman’s dress. 

“Nice kitty, good kitty,” said the old 
woman kindly. “What are you doing with 
your baby in your mouth?” 

As if in answer, the cat suddenly 
dropped the kitten at her feet and ran 
away. But she came back a few moments 
later with another kitten in her mouth. 
Dropping that beside the first one she ran 

15 



The Built-Upon House 


away again only to come back with a 
third. 

“Mercy me!” exclaimed the old woman. 
“What’s all this?” 

“I had to bring them somewhere,” ex¬ 
plained the mother cat. “I heard the 
farmer say this morning that he was 
going to drown them. Of course, I couldn’t 
have that. Just see what fine kittens they 
are!” She looked about her anxiously. 
“You haven’t any cats, have you? Couldn’t 
you keep us?” 

The old woman gathered the three kit¬ 
tens into her lap. They were fine kittens. 
One was all white like a soft little snow¬ 
ball, one was grey and white like a summer 
cloud and one was all grey like the mother 
cat herself. 

“What do you say, my dear?” the old 
woman asked the old man. 


16 



The Built-Upon House 


“It shall be as you like, my love,” he 
answered. 

“I will think about it,” said the old 
woman with her eyes on the sky. In a few 
minutes she said, 

“We’d like very much to have you. The 
only question is—where could we put 
you? And you see our plot of ground here 
is very small—just the house and the 
garden and the pond. 

“We couldn’t have you in the house; 
besides our eyes are getting dim and we 
might step on your kittens. Then, of 
course, you couldn’t live in the garden and 
I don’t believe your family cares for 
ponds.” 

The cat trembled. “No indeed, we 
don’t,” said she sadly. 

“The only place I see then,” said the old 
woman, “is the top of the house. If you’d 


17 



The Built-Upon House 


leave the chimney free you might build 
yourself a little house up there.” 

“What a wonderful idea!” cried the cat. 
“It will be a fine, safe place, too, for the 
kittens. Whatever can I do for you in 
return for such kindness?” 

“Just be a nice, loving cat,” said the old 
woman gently, looking straight into the 
grey pussy’s green eyes. 

Pussy gave a loud purr-r-r in answer, 
and then, leaving her kittens in the old 
woman’s lap, she sprang up the hemlock 
tree as fast as she could. 

Then she jumped across to the roof 
where she built herself the dearest little 
house ever seen and carried up her kittens, 
one by one, the grey and the white and 
the grey and white one. 

How cozy and happy they all were! 
It seemed to the old people that their fire 


18 






I 






»\Q\\V 


How Cozy and 


Happy 


They All Were 


19 



























































































The Built-Upon House 


burned more brightly at night for having 
the cat and her kittens above them, and 
that the sunshine in the daytime was more 
bright because of the kittens that played 
at their feet. 

“Little duck, little duck,” the old 
woman would cry. “See the cunning baby 
things that have come to live with us. They 
are your friends, little duck.” And the 
white duck would bob her head and go 
swimming about more gayly than ever. 

Now it happened that one day not long 
after the coming of the cats, as the old 
man and an old woman were sitting as 
usual at their doorstep, there was a sud¬ 
den noise from the garden and a brown 
rabbit scurried up and ran directly under 
the old woman’s skirts. 

“Mercy, mercy me!” cried the old 
woman, “what’s all this about?” 


20 



The Built-Upon House 


“Sh-h!” whispered the rabbit, “there’s 
a dreadful hunter after me with a gun. 
Please don’t move!” 

“Dear me, I should say not,” said the 
old woman. “When will people ever learn 
that it’s no fun to hurt things smaller and 
weaker than themselves!” 

Even as she spoke, a man came by with 
a gun. He looked all about him but no 
rabbit did he see, only an old man and an 
old woman sitting quietly at their door¬ 
step. So he hurriedly passed on. 

“Oh!—that was a close escape for me!” 
said the brown rabbit, coming out a few 
minutes later. “I certainly thank you, 
madam, for your goodness. I declare I’m 
getting so nervous, living in the woods 
now-a-days. I don’t suppose you’d like to 
keep me for a kind of a pet, would you?” 

The old woman looked at the trembling 
little animal. 


21 



The Built-Upon House 


“What do you say, my dear?” she asked 
the old man. 

“It shall be just as you like, my love,” 
he answered. 

“I will think about it,” said the old 
woman, with her eyes on the sweep of the 
green willow tree. 

Presently she spoke. 

“We have only the house and the gar¬ 
den and the pond. I couldn’t keep you in 
the house because you have such large 
families. And I really ought not to put 
you in the garden—that would be too 
much of a temptation. You don’t happen 
to care for ponds, do you?” 

“No,” said the rabbit sadly. “One of 
my ancestors lost a fine long tail in a pond 
once and we’ve all been hopping about 
with stubby ones ever since. But that’s 
another story. Isn’t there any other place 
for me?” 


22 



The Built-Upon House 


“You might build a little house there 
on top of ours. A cat has a nice, safe one 
up there and if you wouldn’t mind going 
just above her—” 

“ A cat!” cried the poor rabbit, jumping 
up. “Gracious! I’m almost as much afraid 
of cats as I am of hunters.” 

“This is a very loving cat,” said the old 
woman soothingly. “I’m sure if I spoke 
to her about it she would be quite agree¬ 
able.” 

“Well, it certainly would be comforting 
to live up there out of the way of guns,” 
said the brown rabbit glancing up. “I do 
thank you with all my heart and ears. 
What can I do for you in return for your 
kindness?” 

“Just be a nice, loving bunny,” said the 
old woman. “Come, old man, tilt the lad¬ 
der for our new neighbor. And perhaps 


23 



The Built-Upon House 



They Had Become Quite Friendly 


we could spare a few carrots from our 
basket to help her start housekeeping.” 

“I wouldn’t think of such a thing,” said 
the rabbit politely, hopping nimbly up the 
ladder, and under her breath, she said, “If 
I want any carrots, I’ll take some one 
else’s” 

It was certainly a cunning little house 
she built for herself up there, all beauti¬ 
fully carpeted with fresh green grass. It 
was entirely too safe and delightful to 


24 







The Built-Upon House 





How They Did Nibble and Lap and Peck 

keep all to herself and one morning, not 
many weeks after, the brown rabbit leaned 
over and called down to the grey cat with 
whom she had become quite friendly, 
“You needn’t think you are the only 
one who can have babies! Come up and 
see what I have here!” 

And, true enough—she had six baby 

25 








The Built-Upon House 


bunnies as cunning as they could be. Their 
long ears were so wiggly and their tippy 
tails were so tufty! They sat there in their 
dear little house and ate pecks and pecks 
of grass every day until they were as fat 
as little butter balls. 

The old man and the old woman were 
delighted. 

“It’s very nice to have so many young 
things about us,” said the old man. “If 
our baby were here now he would like 
them, too.” 

“Oh, yes,” replied the old woman, “and 
because he would have loved them, let us 
give a party for all the dear young animals 
and a feast for them. I will pick some of 
the tenderest of our early lettuce and car¬ 
rots for the rabbits; the little white duck 
shall have that handful of dried com I 
have been saving. Old man, shake an extra 


26 



The Built-Upon House 


piece of money from the pig bank and buy 
from the farmer a whole quart of milk for 
the kittens.” 

Dear me, what a scrambling there was 
when they all heard about the party! The 
little brown bunnies played leap frog six 
times in succession and the grey and white 
kitten ran up and down the hemlock tree 
seven times. 

But when the feast was about ready 
they all turned into nice, polite little ani¬ 
mals. The cats all came with their long 
tails and the rabbits with their short ones 
and the white duck came with her yellow, 
yellow bill. They all walked respectfully 
around the old man and the old woman 
three times and then they all sat down to 
the feast that was laid out under the green 
willow tree. 

Oh how they did nibble, nibble, nibble 


27 



The Built-Upon House 


and lap, lap, lap and peck, peck, peck! But 
at last, every bit of the vegetables and corn 
was gone and every last lick of the creamy 
milk,—and the white duck and the grey cat 
and the brown rabbit sat contentedly in 
the sun and talked together, while the six 
bunnies and the three kittens played about 
beside the pond, seeing who could go the 
closest to the pond without falling in. 

Presently they got so sleepy that they 
almost did fall in, and then their mothers 
took them home and put them to bed 
where they slept as soundly as could be 
the whole night through. 

The spring skipped along gayly. Blue 
days grew golden and purple nights violet 
and in the distance the trees of the woods 
grew straight and green again. 

The old woman and the grey cat and 
the brown rabbit all swept out their little 


28 



The Built-Up on House 



They Sat in the Sun and Talked Together 


houses and laid them open to the sunshine, 
and the willow tree waved and sang to her 
reflection in the clear, clear water of the 
pond. 

They were all so happy that it seemed 
quite right when, one evening, at sunset 
time, two doves flew past and then came 
back to light and whisper in the hemlock 
tree. 


29 





The Built-Upon House 



Two Doves Came 


“Coo-oo, coo-oo,” they sang. “There is 
something delightful about this place. 
What is it, I wonder?” 

“Just love, I guess,” the old woman told 
them, “unless you mean the young things 
—the white duck and the bunnies and the 
cats.” 

“Cats!” cried the doves, fluttering about 
in dismay. “Oh, they are not delightful, 
not at all!” 


30 







The Built-Upon House 


“These are very nice cats—really, they 
never hurt anything bigger than a flea. 
Were you thinking of settling about here? 
I’ve always been rather fond of doves.” 

“We’d like to live right here,” answered 
one of the doves. “But we don’t care espe¬ 
cially for hemlock trees.” 

“There’s the old willow,” said the old 
woman kindly. 

“It’s too near the water,” said the 
mother dove. “We’re thinking of raising 
a family, you know, and I’m always afraid 
of water with young birds. I don’t sup¬ 
pose you’d care to have us build on your 
roof?” 

“What do you say, my dear?” 

“Just as you say, my love.” 

“I will think about it,” said the old 
woman with her eyes on the swaying 
wheat fields below. 


31 




The Built-Upon House 


“I’m afraid I can’t offer you our roof 
exactly,” said she, after a bit of reflection. 
“But if you’d go two stories up, above the 
bunnies, you’d be welcome.” 

“How good you are,” cooed the two 
doves together. “The air up there will be 
much better and we shall be so safe and 
comfortable. How can we thank you?” 

“Just be friendly and kind,” said the 
old woman. “But then, doves always are 
sweet-tempered, aren’t they? I believe 
that’s why I’ve always liked them—they 
are such contented little things.” 

“We will certainly try to live up to 
your opinion of us,” said the mother dove 
and she stayed quite close to the old 
woman while her husband flew up to see 
about the house-building. 

In a remarkably short time they were 
settled and every night thereafter all the 


32 




The Built-Upon House 


families were lulled 
to sleep by their 
soft cooing, as they 
talked about the two 
precious white eggs 
so safe and warm 
’neath the mother 
dove’s breast. 

“It isn’t everybody 
who can have so 
much happiness in a 
house and around a 
house and on top of 
a house, too,” said 
the old woman 
one August morn¬ 
ing when she came 
out to feed the little 
white duck. 



She Came Out to Feed the Little 
White Duck 


33 







The Built-Upon House 


“Quack, quack,—quack, quack, quack!” 
said the little duck. 

“What do you mean?” asked the old 
woman, and shading her eyes, she looked 
up to see what the duck was talking about. 

And there, above the home of the doves, 
shining in the morning sun, was a fine, 
round web with a great yellow and black 
spider in the center. 

“Good morning,” called the spider 
gayly. “There was such a pleasant feel¬ 
ing in the air here and such a convenient 
branch for my threads that I hope you 
don’t mind my making my home here.” 

“How coo-uld we?” cooed the doves. 

“N-not at all!” nibbled the rabbits. 

“Per-fectly all right,” purred the cats. 

“Indeed we’re very glad to have you,” 
said the old woman graciously. “I’ve al¬ 
ways admired you very much. I can knit, 


34 



The Built-Upon House 


of course, but I never could do such fine 
lace work as yours. Just be a good spider, 
that’s all we ask of you.” 

“Certainly,” replied the spider. “Any¬ 
one as busy as I am hasn’t time to get into 
mischief,” and he went on spinning pa¬ 
tiently and quietly until the great web 
shone strong and round and glistening at 
the top of the Built-Upon House. 

By and by the days grew shorter and 
the air cooler. The old man built a fire 
now each night in the little fireplace and 
he and the old woman sat before it and 
talked about the days of their youth and 
the baby who had gone away. Then the 
old man would wind the clock and the old 
woman would kiss the tiny shoes and then 
together they would shake the money pig 
before they went to bed. 

One morning when the air was like 


35 



The Built-Upon House 



honey and the sky like a blue sapphire and 
the trees like flames of yellow and red, the 
old woman finished her work and stood 
gazing off toward the wood at the foot 
of the hill. 

“I think,” said she, “that I would like 
to go to the wishing-stone today.” 

The old man put his arms about her. 
“Come, then, let us go,” he said. 

Together they went down the hillside 
and across the green fields toward the 


36 







The Built-Upon House 


woods. Just once the old woman turned 
around and waved her hand. 

“Good-bye, little friends, good-bye.” 

Blue day lengthened into rose sunset 
and rose sunset into purple night and still 
the old man and the old woman did not 
return. 

Under the stars the white duck quacked 
dismally, and above the empty fireplace of 
the little house the doves and the rabbit 
and the mother cat were all wide awake. 

“It is very strange,” said the grey 
pussy. “They have never done this before. 
What can have happened to them?” 

“I always was afraid of those old 
woods,” declared the brown bunny, 
“dreadful hunters and deep springs and 
no paths at all to speak of.” She sighed 
deeply and above her the doves began to 
sob in distress. 


37 



The Built-Upon House 


“Oh, do hush up,” said the spider 
crossly. “They’ve probably just been late 
in returning and have stopped to spend 
the night at the farmer’s house. I shouldn’t 
wonder a bit if I looked out early to-mor¬ 
row morning and saw them coming up 
the hill.” 

“Oh, do you think so?” cried all the 
little animals together. 

“Of course I do. Go to sleep, you silly 
creatures,” snapped the spider, “and I’ll 
call to you when I see them coming.” 

And early the next morning, forgetting 
his threads, he began his watch. But he 
looked in vain. By noon time the dear 
ones had not returned and so, taking their 
courage in their paws, the cat and the 
rabbit went off to the woods to look for 
them. 

Not a trace of them could they find. It 


38 



The Built-Upon House 


was the father dove who, at last, brought 
the news. The little people at the wishing- 
stone had told the chipmunks and the chip¬ 
munks told the squirrels and the squirrels 
told the dove. The old man and the old 
woman were not coming back; they had 
gone to find the baby whose shoes stood 
on the mantel beside the clock! 

Oh, what a going-on there was when 
they all heard it! 

“What! Not coming back—never again? 
Our dear old man and dear old woman!” 

The brown rabbits stood in a row and 
looked very solemn and the three kittens 
rubbed against the door and mewed pit¬ 
eously. As for the little duck, he did not 
swim about any more,—just sat beneath 
the willow tree looking sad and thin. 

“I think we’re all very selfish,” said the 
mother dove at last, as severely as a 

39 



The Built-Upon House 


mother dove can. “Now I know where they 
are, I can be quite content again. Just 
think how happy they will be to be with 
the baby they have loved for so long.” 

“Why, so they will!” cried the rabbit al¬ 
most gayly. “I never thought of that. But 
it will be very lonely without them.” 

“Don’t think so much about yourself,” 
said the spider who still felt cross. “Just 
keep on working and something will hap¬ 
pen to make things right!” 

And true enough, something did hap¬ 
pen. Along the brown winding road, one 
day, came a man and a maid. Their arms 
were about each other and they were sing¬ 
ing for they were young and newly wed. 

Suddenly the girl stopped. “What is 
that?” she cried. “It looks like a clock in 
a tower. We must be near a town. Come, 


40 






























Along the Road One Day 


Came a Man and a Maid 




41 








































































The Built-Upon House 


David, let us hurry—perhaps there we 
shall find a hearth for our happiness.” 

But as they drew near it was not a 
clock in a tower that they saw—only the 
spider web hung high and shining in the 
sun. And beneath it was the little house 
with an open door. 

The man and the maid went in. Right 
above the fireplace was a note. “We leave 
this house wide open for love,” it said. 

“How wonderful!” exclaimed the 
young people. “Perhaps it is for us—there 
never was any love like ours!” 

“Oh David! Look!” The girl took the 
baby shoes from the mantel and held them 
to her heart. 

“And look here!” The young man took 
the money-pig and shook it. A single piece 
of silver fell into his hand. 

“We will save it for a rainy day,” said he. 


42 



The Built-Upon House 


“Or a very sunshiny one,” laughed the 
maid and she took his hand and ran out 
under the willow tree. 

There sat the little duck. 

“Oh, David, look,” cried the young wife 
again. “What a darling duck!” 

The white duck raised her head. Was it 
the old woman made young again? She 
opened her yellow bill and gave a long, low 
quack and before she knew it she was 
swimming about on the pond as gayly as 
ever. 

Hearing her call, the cats and the bun¬ 
nies and the doves all came running in 
great excitement. The maid held out her 
hand to them. 

“You precious things!” she cried. 
“David, I cannot leave them. See, they 
love me already. And the little shoes on 
the mantel! David!” 


43 



The Built-Upon House 


“We will stay and take care of every¬ 
thing,” said David and he took her by her 
hands and drew her back again into the 
house. 

“I told you so,” said the spider and he 
began to spin a brand new web. And the 
doves and the brown rabbit and the grey 
pussy all settled down beside their families 
in great contentment. Everything was 
now all right and love had come again to 
the little house. 



44 






Travelers Three 


Once upon a time there was a jolly 
little boy and a great grey elephant and a 
white woofy dog and they all started out 
together to see the world. They jumped 
ditches and they climbed fences; they ran 
down hills and then ran up again, and they 
just straight walked—oh, miles and miles 
and miles! 

Bye and bye, after they had gone far, 
far away, they came to a fine grassy field 
and sat down to rest. The little boy sat 
down and so did the white woofy dog and 
so did the great, grey elephant. 

And while they were sitting there what 
did they see on the other side of the field 
but an old woman. She was bending over 
some bushes picking gooseberries. And 
the queer part of it was that she didn’t 

45 


The Built-Upon House 


have a pail to hold the gooseberries, nor 
a basket either. And as fast as she picked 
them, she was throwing them away. 

“See here,” said the little boy, getting 
up and going over to the old woman. 
“Don’t you know that that isn’t what you 
do with gooseberries?” 

“They’re here to be picked, aren’t 
they?” said the old woman, “and isn’t that 
what I’m doing?” 

“Yes, but you’re throwing them away 
again,” cried the little boy. “Why don’t 
you take them home and make gooseberry 
tarts?” 

And when he said gooseberry tarts he 
said, 

“Um-umm.” 

And “um-umm,” said the elephant. 

And “um-umm,” said the dog. 

And from the way they all said it, the 


46 





They All Started Out to See the World 


47 

























The Built-Upon House 


old woman knew that gooseberry tarts 
must be something very good indeed. 

“I don’t know how to make them,” said 
she to the little boy. “Will you show me 
how?” 

“Climb on the elephant and we’ll go to 
that town yonder and I’ll do the best I 
can,” answered the little boy. “I know it’s 
flour and sugar and salt you take—oh, and 
something called shortening. Perhaps the 
baker will know.” 

But when they got to the town and 
asked the baker how to make gooseberry 
tarts he said he never heard of such a thing. 

“But I can give you shortening if you 
like and oh yes, flour and sugar of course.” 

So the old woman and the elephant and 
the dog and the baker and his wife and his 
daughter and the scullery maid and the er- 

48 



Travelers Three 



rand lad all stood around while the little 
boy made gooseberry tarts. 

Then they all stood around and sniffed 
and smelled all the time the tarts were 
baking. And when those gooseberry tarts 
came out they all umm-ed and ah-ed so 
loud that half the town came running to 
see what it was about. 

“I will make you some/’ the old wom¬ 
an said calmly. “I know exactly how to 
do it,” and to the little boy she said: 


49 




The Built-Upon House 


“I know now what I have always 
wanted to do. I shall stay right here and 
make gooseberry tarts for the rest of my 
life.” 

“That sounds very delightful, madam,” 
replied the jolly little boy. “Do stay, if 
you like, but we must go on and see the 
world.” 

So he and the grey elephant and the 
white dog bade farewell to the townspeo¬ 
ple and travelled forth once more on their 
way. 

It was not long before they came to the 
ocean. It stretched out broad and blue and 
beautiful before them and on it, balanced 
and blithe and beckoning, was a ship all 
ready to sail. 

Nobody saw them when they got on— 
the boy and the dog and the elephant. It 
was when they were puffing away out on 

so 



Travelers Three 



There Was a Ship All Ready to Sail 

the bay that the captain first caught sight 
of them. 

“What are you doing here?” he shouted. 
“Don’t you know nobody goes on this boat 
unless he works his way across?” 

“Well—we will work,” said the little 
boy. “We will all work. Grey elephant can 
carry water, little dog can clear the decks, 
and I’ll scrub them.” 


51 









The Built-Upon House 


“All right then,” said the captain, and 
he didn’t shout so loud this time because 
he saw the elephant coming toward him 
with his big feet going clunk, clunk. 

The little boy called the elephant back 
and put him to work. Every morning after 
that they did their work, grey elephant 
carrying water, white dog clearing decks 
and little boy scrubbing them. 

After their tasks were done they would 
all lie down on the nice clean decks and let 
the sunshine pour over them. The wind 
and spray would blow across them and 
they couldn’t help thinking that seeing the 
world was worth while. 

It was weeks afterward that the ship 
reached its first port. The boy and the dog 
and the elephant hopped off to see what 
they could see. It was a beautiful country 
in which they landed; the sun shone daz- 

52 



Travelers Three 



zlingly, bright-plumaged birds darted 
about them and in the distance cocoanut 
palms glistened like gold. 

The little boy had never seen such a 
place but as soon as he landed grey ele¬ 
phant began to act very strangely indeed. 
He waved his trunk to and fro and kicked 
up his heels and even lay down and rolled 
over and over. 

“Goof, goof, goof,” he cried and in a mo- 

53 








The Built-Upon House 


ment, “Goof, goof, goof,” some one an¬ 
swered way off in the forest. Grey elephant 
started to run but in a moment he came 
back to the little boy. 

“I know now what Fve been hunting 
for,” he said. “Here is my home and here 
I stay.” 

“Well,” said the little boy. “I suppose 
you must,” and he and the little white dog 
went back to the ship. They missed their 
old grey friend very much but there was 
still the world to see and the good boat to 
carry them farther and farther. 

It took them at last to a strange land. 
There was snow everywhere, snow and 
sledges and queer little people going about 
in costumes of skin and fur. In the distance 
were mountains covered with ice. A cold, 
cold land it was, a land of silver and blue. 
Little boy stood and shivered but white 


54 



Travelers Three 


dog shook himself and danced around and 
around. 

“Now I know why I have this nice warm 
coat,” he said. “Woof, woof, woof.” 

“Woof, woof, woof,” came back in an¬ 
swer and two dogs just like himself came 
running to meet him. 

“They are my kin,” said the little white 
dog. “Do you mind if I stay with them, 
little boy?” 

“No,” answered the boy, but he felt very 
lonely and seeing the world somehow 
didn’t seem as glorious as it had before. 

Just then, though, there was a great 
noise above them. Whirr-r. Whirr-r,— 
and with wide-spread wings something 
like a great bird circled in the air. 

“It’s an airplane, it’s an airplane. Look! 
Look!” yelled the little boy. 

Just beyond in a great field of snow the 

55 



The Built-Upon House 


airplane made a landing. The little boy 
ran. 

“Take me with you, take me with you,” 
he cried to the airman. 

“Where are you going?” laughed the 
man. 

Tm going home,” said the boy. 

“So am I,” replied the airman. “You are 
not big,—maybe I could tuck you in. Wait 
and we’ll see.” 

“Well! I am seeing the world,” the 
little boy thought some hours later. “I 
never thought I’d see it this way. Things 
certainly do look small from an airplane. 
Not much use looking and I’m sleepy! Oh, 
I’m so sleepy.” 

“Wake up, little boy,” the airman said 
a long time afterward. “We’re there! We’re 
home!” 

The little boy could hardly wait for 

56 



Travelers Three 



the plane to get down, but he was out at 
last,—and there was his mother standing 
at the gate waiting for him. 

“Queer how your mother is always 
there waiting for you,” said the little boy, 
and ran straight into her arms. 

“Well—did the world see you?” his 
mother asked him. 

“Why, I went to see the world,” laughed 
the little boy. 

“That’s so,” said his mother. “But while 


57 





The Built-Upon House 


you’re seeing the world it’s true that the 
world is always seeing you.” 

“And when you’ve found the place 
where you ought to be, you can forget the 
rest and be happy and free.” 

“And that’s the last word from the 
three,—the dog and the elephant and me!” 



58 











The Happy 
Princess 

The happy princess 
was in the garden. 
Her golden hair glis¬ 
tened in the sun and 
her little silken 
gown fluttered in the 
breeze as she ran to 
and fro, gathering 
the bright flowers or 
feeding the snow- 
white swans that 
were swimming on 
the pond. Every¬ 
thing in the garden 
was happy but the 
princess was Oh! the 
happiest of all. 



The Snow-White Swans Were Swim¬ 
ming on the Pond 


59 







The Built-Uport House 


“Cheep-cheep,” sang the little birds in 
the trees above her and “Joyful-joyful,” 
laughed the princess back to them. 

“Good morning, princess,” said a merry 
voice from over the wall. 

It was the beloved prince who had 
stopped on his morning ride to talk to the 
happy princess. 

She made him a deep curtsey, then ran 
gayly to meet him, for some day these two 
were to be wed, and live together in the big 
palace beyond where the King and Queen 
were at that moment eating their break¬ 
fast of chicken and waffles. 

But just as she reached the wall there 
came a loud blowing of trumpets. 

“T oot-a-loo—toot-a-loo—toot-a-loo!” 

“Oh, hurry. Come!” cried the beloved 
prince. “See the soldiers going off to fight. 
Look at them,—aren’t they gorgeous?” 

60 



The Happy Princess 



“To fight? This lovely day! How fool¬ 
ish!” said the princess. 

“Foolish!” exclaimed the prince. “Of 
course it isn’t—they will conquer all the 
countries around and gain more kingdom 
for us.” 

“Nonsense! Who wants more kingdom? 
This garden is big enough for me,” said the 
happy princess shaking her curls at him. 
“When I am Queen, I am not going to have 
any soldiers.” 

“Not have any soldiers! Why, of course, 


61 










The Built-Upon House 


we will have soldiers—wait until you see 
me in a red coat and—” 

“Their coats are very pretty,” inter¬ 
rupted the princess, “but their swords are 
not!—ugh! I cannot see the sense of all 
this foolish fighting. Why it always makes 
me sad to see one of the tiniest birds hurt!” 

“I know, darling princess,” said the be¬ 
loved prince, and his voice was very gentle. 
“But don’t you see if we don’t have sol¬ 
diers, other kings’ soldiers will come in 
and rule us.” 

“Oh no they won’t!” said the princess, 
leaning forward with a beaming smile, 
“because I shall not have any enemies and 
I shall have—the fairies!” 

“Fairies!” The prince threw back his 
handsome head and laughed. “Why, you 
foolish princess, there aren’t any such 
things as fairies.” 


62 



The Happy Princess 


“Oh, hush!” cried the princess, looking 
about anxiously, “don’t speak so loudly,— 
they may hear you.” 

“Who? The fairies. Nonsense!” 

Two tears started from the princess' 
eyes and rolled down her cheeks. 

“Oh, prince dear. Please say you be¬ 
lieve in the fairies.” 

“But I don’t ” 

The princess leaned forward beseech¬ 
ingly. “But, the Queen, my mother, said 
they gave me my happy heart.” 

“Nonsense,” said the prince, though he 
looked rather doubtful. “Lots of people 
have happy hearts. You will have to show 
me a better charm than that, princess, or 
I will never believe in fairies.” 

“Very well,” she said. “I shall never 
marry you until you do.” And she ran 

63 



The Built-Upon House 


away toward the palace with all her golden 
curls flying behind. 

The King and Queen were just finishing 
the honey waffles and wiping their fingers 
daintily on the silver tissue napkins that 
the court butler was passing around, when 
the princess burst in upon them with the 
whole story. 

“And oh, my Queen Mother,” she cried, 
casting herself upon Her Majesty in a per¬ 
fect torrent of tears, “we do know there 
are fairies, don’t we?” 

“Of course we do,” said the Queen 
drawing the little princess close to her and 
throwing a laughing glance across at the 
King who was looking very much worried. 

The princess’ dimples all came back and 
her heavenly blue eyes began to sparkle 
like the jewels that were set in the Queen’s 
lovely crown. 


64 



The Happy Princess 


“Then,” said she, “I know exactly what 
I shall do. I shall journey to Fairyland my¬ 
self and tell the fairies all about this. I shall 
go alone so that they will not be in the 
least afraid. I know they will let me bring 
back just a little one. Ah! he shall see! that 
beloved prince!” 

At that the King began to storm and 
rage, but the Queen laid her snow-white 
hand gently on his arm. 

“Why, what harm could come to our 
princess of the happy heart?” said she. 
“Perhaps it would be a good thing to let 
her see her kingdom before she settles 
down to be a Queen.” 

So, at last, after much talking and 
pleading, it was decided that the princess 
was to have her way. Soon the whole court 
knew that their happy princess was to 


65 



The Built-Up on House 


travel through the kingdom on a quest for 
Fairyland. 

Then, such a planning as ensued! The 
King gave orders that a new saddle of gold 
with trappings to match be made for the 
princess’ palfrey, and the Queen set all the 
maidens of the court to sewing on a brand 
new gown that was to be of the finest silk 
and as blue as the princess’ own eyes. There 
was also a cloak of wool with silver but¬ 
tons,—everything that would make their 
darling princess happy and comfortable on 
her journey. 

On the day that she was to start, the 
King proclaimed a great feast and all the 
people assembled to make merry and bid 
farewell to the princess. All except the be¬ 
loved prince who stood in the corner alone. 

“It is a perfectly foolish plan,” said he. 
“We shall never have any fun with the 
happy princess away.” 


66 




The Little Princess Never Dreamed What a Great Kingdom She Possessed 


67 
























































The Built-Upon House 


At last, however, the princess’ milk- 
white horse was brought and when the 
four little pages in fine new costumes 
helped her to mount, the happy princess 
kissed her hands to them many times and 
rode away amid the cheers of all the peo¬ 
ple. 

Then began her adventures! Gracious! 
The little princess never dreamed what 
a great big kingdom she possessed. What 
spacious mansions and wonderful mead¬ 
ows! What lakes and rivers and mighty 
forests and what hundreds and hundreds 
of people! 

But no harm came to her as she traveled 
for she carried always the charm of the 
happy heart. Her words were always kind 
and her laugh so merry that even the 
animals she met along the way wished 
to follow her, but to all she said, 

68 



The Happy Princess 


“I am going to Fairyland on a very spe¬ 
cial errand and I must go quite alone.” 

She had gone quite a way on her jour¬ 
ney and was becoming very tired, so she 
was glad to see before her a large house 
all brilliantly lighted. “I shall stay there 
tonight,” said the princess. “See, the doors 
and windows are wide open and inside 
there is singing and laughter and dancing. 
This is the House of Mirth.” 

There were many people who lived 
there all the time and they crowded about 
the happy princess and wanted her to play 
with them, but she was so weary she fell 
asleep almost at once in spite of all the 
gayety and music. 

“I shall come back sometime,” she told 
them in the morning as she departed, “and 
I shall bring the beloved prince with me. 
I am sure he would like you all very much.” 


69 



The Built-Upon House 


She traveled far that day and in the 
evening she came to another house. It was 
a smaller house than the House of Mirth 
and it was lighted by soft-glowing candles. 
It had beautiful gardens in which many 
people walked and from the house came 
music very low and very sweet. 

“I am sure I shall like this place,” said 
the happy princess as she stopped before 
its gates. 

Tender hands lifted her from her horse 
and carried her into the house. 

“How beautiful she is,” said soft, sing¬ 
ing voices. 

That night she slept in a bower of 
flowers and in the morning the same ten¬ 
der hands bathed her with delicate per¬ 
fumes and smoothed the silken robe into 
perfection. 

“You do not wish to stay now,” said the 


70 



The Happy Princess 



That Night She Slept in a Bower of Flowers 

soft voices, “but some day you will come 
back.” 

“I will surely come back,” said the 
happy princess joyfully and again she 
thought of the beloved prince. 

So many people were journeying on the 
road that day. Big people, little people, 
fat people, thin people, all kinds of people. 

“Where are they all going?” the prin¬ 
cess asked a man who was riding near her. 


71 









The Built-Upon House 


His face was muffled in a great grey cloak 
and his eyes were very sad but he spoke 
very gently to the little princess. 

“Do you see that big castle yonder?” 
pointing to the turrets that glistened in 
the distance, “that is the House of Knowl¬ 
edge and all these people are hastening 
there in the hope that they may learn 
something that will lift them from ignor¬ 
ance or sorrow or pain. I myself am going 
there. Are not you?” 

“No, indeed,” laughed the happy prin¬ 
cess. “I am going to Fairyland.” 

“To Fairyland!” exclaimed the man. 

“A real Fairyland,” sang the princess. 

The man looked at her with his sad, sad 
eyes. “I shall watch for you when you re¬ 
turn,” he said. “Perhaps I would rather 
go there instead of to the House of Knowl¬ 
edge.” 


72 



The Happy Princess 


“What is your name?” asked the prin¬ 
cess. “I shall tell the fairies about you.” 

“My name is Waste,” said the man, “the 
fairies have never heard of me.” 

“Neither have I,” said the princess, 
“but I shall know you when I meet you 
again,” and she waved farewell to him and 
rode merrily by, because merely by talk¬ 
ing about Fairyland made her more 
anxious than ever to get there. 

“I shall look about, but I shall not go 
in,” she said as she drew near the wonder¬ 
ful House of Knowledge. 

“It seems very interesting indeed.” 

Truly it was—broad fields extended far 
and wide about it and within and without 
people, old and young, were making all 
kinds of things and studying all kinds of 
books. 

“Very interesting indeed,” repeated the 

73 



The Built-Upon House 


princess. “But I can’t stop, good people. 
I am going to Fairyland. I wonder,—Yes, 
I shouldn’t wonder if it were not right on 
the other side of that hill.” 

The country was becoming more and 
more beautiful and the air was sweet and 
pure. 

“Surely I must be coming nearer to the 
fairies,” thought the princess and she be¬ 
gan to sing: 

“ Fairies, guide me as / go 
Slow or fast, high or low, 

Lend thy charm that I may tell 
Which path leads to fairy dell” 

As she sang a little lark rose from the 
bushes and circled about her head, then 
with a merry trill flew before her. 

“Precious bird,” cried the princess, “I 
do believe the fairies have sent you.” And 
all that day she followed the little lark, 
stopping where he rested and singing as 


74 




From Below Her Came a Lovely Little Voice, “It's True! The Marks of Fairy 
Kisses Are on Her Forehead” 


75 




















The Built-Upon House 


he sang, until at evening they came to a 
smooth grassy knoll where the lark 
stopped and put his head under his wing. 

“Thank you,” laughed the princess. “We 
are going to sleep, aren’t we? Good night, 
sweet bird.” • 

She drew her woolen cloak close about 
her and there on the top of the little hill 
slept the night hours away. 

Next morning, through the violet and 
grey of the dawn, the happy princess 
dreamed of faint, sweet music. Stirring 
and turning, she threw out her arms to 
catch it. If she had been home she would 
perhaps have fallen out of bed. 

As it was, she started to roll down the 
hill. Over and over, faster and faster she 
went, until at last at the foot of a young 
birch tree she stopped. Hardly awake, she 
sat up and rubbed her eyes, then leaned 


76 



The Happy Princess 


forward in great joy, for she had reached 
Fairyland at last! 

The music she thought she had dreamed 
of was real—from the fairy pipes of the 
morning revels and all about in that 
flowered glen danced the tiny folk of 
Fairyland themselves. In and out and all 
about beside the murmuring brook they 
glided and swayed, — delicate, graceful 
creatures of beauty and fragrance. 

The happy princess looking at them 
held her breath. But at last she could keep 
still no longer. 

“Oh, you darlings!” she cried. 

At the sound of her voice, the fairies 
disappeared, each to his hiding place in 
flower or tree. 

The little princess became pale with 
fright. “Ah, fairies! I pray you do not 
go. Stay only one moment, I beg of you!” 

77 




The Built-Upon House 


She held out her hands to the vanished 
fairies and suddenly there came into the 
silence the morning song of the little lark, 
clear and true. It was borne down to the 
fairy glen and what it said the happy 
princess could not tell, but as if answering 
it from below her came a lovely little voice. 

“ ’Tis true,” said the voice. “The marks 
of fairy kisses are on her forehead; very 
faint they are, but still they are there.” 

At the brave little fairy’s words, the rest 
of the band came back again, unafraid now 
and anxious to see this mortal child who 
bore on her brow the stamp of their magic 
charm. 

With them all about her the happy 
princess told her story. When she repeated 
what the beloved prince had said, the fair¬ 
ies all sighed and their sighing was like 
the fluttering of leaves in the summer 

78 



The Happy Princess 



breeze. But when she told what she had 
said to the beloved prince, the fairies all 
laughed aloud and their laughter was like 
the tinkle of little silver bells. 

“And now,” said the happy princess as 
she ended, “please, may I take a fairy back 
with me? Just one little fairy, so that the 
beloved prince may see?” 

The fairies drew aside and talked to¬ 
gether. Then one, whom the princess knew 
to be the Queen, came back and spoke. 


79 




The Built-Upon House 


“0 child of the happy heart,” said she, 
“our law does not permit the fairies to 
show themselves to mortal eyes. Our 
charms men may feel—our music they may 
hear, but ourselves they may not see.” 

At that the poor princess put her head 
in her hands and burst out crying. Down 
her cheeks and through her fingers 
dropped great big tears and the sound of 
her weeping filled the fairies’ hearts with 
sorrow. They caught the tear drops in 
their hands and looked at them wonder¬ 
ing what they could be, for fairies never 
cry. 

And as they held the big tears in their 
hands the early morning sunbeams came 
up and cast a lovely rainbow into each one, 
making the fairies laugh again. And at 
that the queen fairy had an idea. 

“Why, these sorrow drops are beauti- 


80 



The Happy Princess 



ful,” said she. “Let us make them into a 
charm and give them to the princess to 
carry home. Perhaps when he sees them 
the beloved prince will believe and all will 
be well once more.” 

The happy princess raised her head and 
when she saw the beautiful drops her smile 
came back and she clapped her hands. 

“What a perfectly splendid plan,” she 
cried. “Do, dear fairies, please do.” 





The Built-Upon House 


And because the fairies had held them 
in their hands, the princess’ tears were no 
longer sad little drops of salty water, but 
crystal clear with the rainbow in the heart 
of each. 

The fairies fluttered to and fro, making 
a box to hold them, of tender green moss 
lined with palest primrose petals. 

“Take these,” they said to the little 
princess. “Within them we have placed 
our magic charm of health and happiness. 
Place them upon those who are sick and 
they shall be well and upon those who are 
sorrowful and they shall be full of joy.” 

Then the fairies kissed her and 
smoothed her gown until she stood before 
them again a royal happy princess; but as 
she stretched out her hands to them, lo, 
they were gone! 

“Good-bye, sweet fairies,” she called to 


82 



The Happy Princess 


them as she climbed the hill, “I shall never, 
never forget you,” and she held the pre¬ 
cious green box close to her heart. 

It seemed to the happy princess that the 
journey back to her home was twice as 
long, so eager was she to arrive, so anxious 
was she to show to the beloved prince her 
magic gift. But at last she reached the 
walls of her father’s court. The soldiers 
standing guard at the gate saluted her 
gladly and blew the trumpets to let all the 
people know of her return. 

“There shall be no more of this,” 
thought the happy princess, “soon you will 
be laying aside those noisy trumpets to go 
to the House of Knowledge. There you 
shall learn instead how to build schools 
and make gardens.” 

So glad to be at home again was she 
that she did not notice how quiet and sad 


83 



The Built-Upon House 


the whole court seemed and in a moment 
the beloved prince came hurrying to meet 
her. He lifted her from her horse as he 
said, 

“Oh, how glad I am that you are home 
again, you have been gone so long a 
time.” 

The princess looked at him with spark¬ 
ling eyes. 

“Dear prince,” she said, “I have had the 
the most wonderful time. Wait until you 
hear,—and just wait until you see.” She 
held up the little green box. 

The beloved prince looked at it with 
curiosity. 

“But you must come directly to the 
palace, happy princess,” he said. “Your 
mother the Queen, is very ill.” 

“Ill? My darling Queen Mother ill?” 
said the princess hurrying past him. 


84 



The Happy Princess 



She gathered up her silken gown and 
ran quickly to the palace. Up the broad 
steps and through the hall she sped until 
she found her father. The King clasped 
her to his heart and his tears fell fast on 
her golden head. “Oh father, father, take 
me quickly to my mother.” 

“Alas, my child, I fear your mother is 
very, very sick. They will not let even me 
approach her bedside.” 

“But see!” said the princess, dragging 
him by one hand and holding up the fairy 

85 







The Built-Upon House 


gift with the other. “See, father, we must 
go to her. I have here in this box a magic 
gift of health and happiness from fairy¬ 
land. I was going to give it to the beloved 
prince to make him believe, but my mother 
shall have it all.” 

Together they went to Her Majesty’s 
room. No one, not even the big, grave 
doctors, could refuse admittance to a 
happy princess with a fairy gift in her 
hand. 

How white and thin the poor Queen 
looked! The little princess bent and kissed 
her. 

“Dear Mother,” she whispered, “see, 
now that I have come you will get better 
again.” 

She let the tear drops fall softly on the 
Queen’s forehead and suddenly her mother 
opened her eyes. “My dear child,” she said 
faintly and smiled at them. 

86 




The Happy Princess 


“Darling Mother,” said the princess, “I 
have given you the fairies’ gift of health 
and happiness. Get well quickly and I will 
tell you about it.” 

“Fairies?” said the Queen, and she 
smiled again. 

“One more smile,” said the doctors, 
“and she will get well.” And this time the 
Queen smiled at them. 

A week later when the Queen was well 
again the princess related to the whole 
court her adventures on her wonderful 
journey. 

The beloved prince, when she had fin¬ 
ished, looked at her and said, 

“And now, happy princess, after all I 
have heard, I believe that the fairies do 
exist. They have cured the Queen Mother 
with their gift of health and happiness, 
and have sent you back to me safe and 

87 



The Built-Upon House 


sound. Let us be married at once.” 

“Yes, yes!” cried the happy princess, 
clapping her hands, “the House of Mirth 
was very nice, the House of Knowledge 
too. But the House of Love is truly de¬ 
lightful. I shall be the happiest, happiest 
princess that ever lived!” 



88 







**/ wandered the earth across and around 
But no matter where I did roam, 

I found nothing so sweet as the candle light 
And the fire on my hearth at home” 


89 





The Best Thing in the World 

Once upon a time there was a little man 
who had a little house on the top of a hill. 
And at the bottom of the hill there was 
another man who had another little house. 
Both little houses were as cozy as could be 
and both little men were as jolly as could 
be. Every morning the little man at the 
top of the hill went down for water and 
every morning the little man at the bot¬ 
tom of the hill climbed up for wood. 

“Good morning,” the first little man 
would say and “Good morning to you,” the 
other little man would reply. 

After they had done this for a year or 
more a fine thought came to the little man 
who lived up at the top. “I’m a bit lonely 
in my house up there,” said he. “Why 
wouldn’t it be a good idea for you to come 
to my house and live with me?” 


90 


The Best Thing in the World 



"I'm a Bit Lonely in My House Up There,** He Said 

“Well—thank you,” said his friend. “’Tis 
true I am lonely at times but Fm afraid I’d 
find it a little too breezy up there. Why not 
come to the valley and live with me?” 

“I’m sure the lowlands wouldn’t agree 
with me,” said the first little man. “But I 
tell you what we could do.” He leaned over 
and whispered something in the other’s 
ear. 

Not even the birds in the bushes heard 


91 







The Built-Upon House 


what he said but in a few weeks the secret 
was out. There, right on the side of the 
hill, mid-way between the top and the bot¬ 
tom, stood a brand-new little house that 
the two of them had built and in it the two 
of them were living. 

All went well for a while but after a 
time both little men began to long for the 
charms of their former homes. 

“It’s the view that I miss,” said he who 
had dwelt at the top of the hill. “The view, 
and the clean sweep of the wind through 
the pine trees.” 

“It’s the breadth and friendliness of the 
valley that I miss,” said the other. “And 
the smell of the new-mown hay. Let us 
leave this house to chance and rest and go 
to the homes that suit us best.” 

“Perhaps that would be a good idea,” 
said his companion, and he went hopping 


92 



The Best Thing in the World 


up the hill as fast as the other little man 
went skipping down. My! How glad each 
one was to get back to his own little place. 

“No half-way houses for me,” declared 
the little man at the bottom of the hill. 

“No half-way houses for me,” declared 
the little man at the top of the hill. 

But they were just as good friends as 
ever, yes indeed. And every day as before, 
when one climbed up for wood and the 
other climbed down for water they 
stopped at the little half-way house to 
chat. 

And one day, while they were standing 
there, something happened. They heard 
a click, click, click, and a swish, swish, 
swish, and all at once the door flew open 
and there stood a little woman—the mer¬ 
riest little roly-poly woman they ever had 
seen. She wore a yellow-checked apron 


93 



The Built-Upon House 


and a gold shawl and she curtsied to them 
as politely as could be. 

“Your health, gentlemen!” 

“And yours, madam!” said both little 
men bowing low. 

Of course they were very much sur¬ 
prised but they were perfectly delighted 
to think there was a nice little woman liv¬ 
ing in their half-way house. 

Now every morning, when they stopped 
to talk there would be a click, click, click, 
and a swish, swish, swish, and out would 
come the little woman in her yellow- 
checked apron and her gold shawl. And 
always she was so sweet and kind that 
both little men began to wonder how they 
ever got along without her and each one 
wanted her to come and live with him in 
his own little house. 

“Come with me and live at the top of 


94 



The Best Thing in the World 


the hill,” begged the one. “You’ve no idea 
how fine it is there, you’ve no idea!” 

“Come with me to the valley,” begged 
the other. “You could never dream how 
lovely it is there, you could never dream!” 

The little woman’s eyes twinkled. “I 
will come and live with the one who 
brings me—the best thing in the world,” 
said she. 

“The best thing in the world!” The two 
little men looked at each other in astonish¬ 
ment. “Why, what is the best thing in the 
world?” 

“Go and find out,” laughed the little 
woman flourishing her broom. “I’ll stay 
right here until you come back.” 

What an adventure! The two little men 
had never been away from the hill. What 
fun to hop off and find the best thing in 
the world! 


95 




The Built-Upon House 


“Good-bye,” they called to her as they 
hurried away. 

“Good-bye,” called the little woman 
waving her yellow-checked apron. 

It was months before they came back. 
The summer had come and gone and the 
autumn days were azure and crisp and 
cool. The graceful ash trees, hung with 
scarlet earrings, called cheerily from the 
side of the hill; the mischievous maples 
sent yellow leaves swirling all about the 
half-way house. The squirrels and chip¬ 
munks scampered about gathering nuts 
for the coming winter. 

And then one day, the little men ap¬ 
peared. How glad they were to be back 
on the old hill again. They ran as fast as 
they could to the house in the middle of 
it to see if the little woman was still there. 

With a click, click, click and a swish, 


96 








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-- LI - X. 


“Good Day, Madam,” 


Said They, Bowing Low 


97 







































































































































The Built-Upon House 


swish, swish, the door flew open and there 
she was! 

“Good day gentlemen,” said she, with a 
curtsey. 

“Good day madam,” said they, bowing 
low. 

“And have you found it—the best thing 
in the world?” 

“I have, I’m sure I have,” said he who 
lived at the foot of the hill, and, 

“I think I have,” said he who lived at 
the top. 

“Both of you? How nice,” exclaimed 
the little woman. 

“Come with me, I’ll show you,” said the 
first little man and he led her down to his 
own little house. There before the door 
stood a gay little carriage made for two 
and, harnessed to it in scarlet and silver, a 
pair of fine white high-stepping horses. 


98 



The Best Thing in the World 



Look, — Look! Money! Money! Bags Full! 


“Beautiful,” said the little woman. 

“Come inside,” chirped the little man. 
“Look, look! money! money! bags full! a 
house full! We can go anywhere, have any¬ 
thing, don’t even have to work if we don’t 
want to! Isn’t that the best thing in the 
world?” 

“Very fine, very fine indeed,” said the 
little woman. Then she looked at the other 
little man. 


99 






The Built-Upon House 


“And what have you to say, kind sir?” 

“Well,” said he, “what I have doesn’t 
look anything like this but it still seems 
to me the best thing in the world. Come 
and see.” 

Together they climbed the hill again. 
There before the little house lay a bunch 
of bayberries and a great big log. 

“Bayberries for candles and hickory for 
the fire,” said the little man. 

“Candles? fire?” repeated the little 
woman. 

“I wandered the earth across and around 

But no matter where / did roam, 

I found nothing so sweet as the candle light 

And the fire on my hearth at home.” 

“And is that all?” asked the little 
woman. 

The little man took her hand and 
placed her beside the berries and the log. 

100 










The Other Little Man Was Lejt to His Money Bag 


101 







The Built-Upon House 


“Those two and some one you love,” 
said he. 

The little woman smiled. “You have 
won,” she said. 

“A little house at the top of the hill 

Where one may work or rest at will, 

A fire on the hearth and the blue sky above, 

A contented mind and a little love.” 

“These are the best things in the 
world.” 

And, leaving the other little man to his 
shining carriage and his money bags, she 
took his arm and walked into the house 
with him and there they lived, happy ever 
afterward. 


102 



Flops and the Fairy Cat 

They named her Florence when she 
was a baby. And then because she was 
such a little thing with soft straying curls 
about her face, they called her “Floss.” 
But when she began to run around by 
herself she tumbled and fell so many times 
a day that her brothers and sisters at last 
laughed and called her “Flops.” 

Flops was a dear little girl; she didn’t 
mean to fall about so but every day she 
came in with a scratched face or a bruised 
knee. 

“My poor darling, do try to be more 
careful,” her mother said gently but her 
father said rather crossly, “I do wish that 
child would look where she’s going.” 

Now it happened that one day Flops 
wished to go out into the garden to gather 


103 


The Built-Upon House 



some flowers. Running out across the 
porch she jumped down the steps in a 
great hurry and fell almost on top of her 
big cat that was sunning herself in the 
grass. 

“0 my dear kitty, did I hurt you?” 
cried the tender-hearted little girl. 

“Hurt me? No. But why don’t you 
look where you’re going?” said the cat in 
a perfectly grown-up voice. 

104 




“Why Don't You Put Thinkers on Your Feet?" Asked the Cat 


105 


i 





























The Built-Upon House 


“Why you talked!” whispered Flops, 
sitting up in surprise. 

“Of course I talked. It’s enough to 
make anybody talk the way you fall 
around,” said the cat. 

“I know,” said the little girl sadly, “but 
I just can’t seem to help it.” 

“Why don’t you put thinkers on your 
feet?” asked the cat. 

“Thinkers! Do you mean sinkers?” 
said Flops. 

“I said Thinkers,” repeated the cat. 
“Use your head, you know, to manage your 
feet. Did you ever see ME hurt myself 
when I jumped? I guess not! I just put 
my mind on where I’m going, then I put 
my eyes on where I’m going, then I go! 
See that hole Tommy made yesterday? 
Well, watch me!” 

Kitty crouched carefully, fixed her 
shining green eyes upon the spot where 


106 



Flops and the Fairy Cat 


Florence’s brother had been digging, then 
leaped lightly and perfectly into the mid¬ 
dle of the hole. 

“Oh I see,” cried Flops. “I believe that 
is a good way. Thank you, Kitty dear. 
You’re the most wonderful cat I ever saw. 
Isn’t it the strangest thing how you can 
talk!” 

“ME-OW!” said the cat. 

“0 poor kitty, can’t you talk any 
more?” said the little girl, stroking the cat 
gently. “Poor darling! Never mind, may¬ 
be sometime you’ll grow up to be a little 
girl like me.” 

“ME—EW!” said kitty. 



107 








How Richard Named His Dog 

Little Richard’s new baby brother and 
his new puppy made him so happy. “My,” 
he said, “I don’t know which I like better!” 

“The idea,” laughed his mother, “of 
course you love your baby brother better.” 

“Of course I do,” said Richard, “but the 
puppy is so cunning and he can walk 
already. What are we going to name 
them, Mother?” 

“It will be easy to name the baby,” 
answered his mother. “I shall call him 
John, Jr., after his father. But what would 
you like to name your dog?” 

Richard thought of a great many 
names—Don and Peter, Rover and Gyp, 
and oh! a great many more but none 
seemed just to fit the jolly bunch of fur 
and fun that frolicked and tumbled about. 


108 


How Richard Named His Dog 


“You dear little doggie,” was all Rich¬ 
ard could say, and that was all the name 
the puppy had for some time. 

“Now, Richard,” said Mother one day, 
“I have baby brother to watch and tend. 
You must take care of your little dog and 
see that he doesn’t get into mischief. You 
wouldn’t like it if grandmother or any one 
of the older people should think he were 
a nuisance and wish him to go.” 

Richard thought that would not be 
pleasant. He fed the puppy and took him 
out for play and tried in every way to 
make him an obedient and well-trained 
dog. But the time soon came when Rich¬ 
ard had to go to school, so one morning 
the little boy carried the puppy to a 
cushion in front of the fireplace in the 
living-room. 

“Now, puppy,” he said, “you stay here 


109 



The Built-Upon House 



and be good until I 
come home from 
school.” 

Of course the 
puppy didn’t want 
to be quiet for so 
long. Very soon he 
began to move 
about. He wiggled 
and rolled and 
sniffed and sneezed 
all about the room 
and out into the hall, 
until he found him¬ 
self looking right up 
the stairway. 

Puppy had never 
tried going upstairs, 
but this morning, 

'You Stay Here until / Come Home # - 

from schooir He Said with no Richard to 


110 













How Richard Named His Dog 



Into the Room Went That Jolly Puppy 

hinder, he thought he would like to try. It 
seemed as though his fat little legs just 
couldn’t do it, but finally after tumbling 
down a dozen times he reached the top 
of the stairs. 

The door to a room nearby stood ajar 
and into the room went that jolly puppy. 
It happened to be the bathroom and on the 


m 




















The Built-Upon House 


floor all ready for baby brother stood a 
little bathtub filled with warm water. 

Puppy went over to the tub. He put 
both paws on the edge and his big head 
right over, ready to see all there was to 
see. Splash! In he went, head, feet and all. 

Oh! how he did splash and cry! Rich¬ 
ard’s mother came running to se^ what 
had happened. She laughed and laughed. 

“You little mischief! You have spoiled 
baby’s bath,” she said, but she pulled him 
out quite gently and patted him dry with 
a big turkish towel. 

Puppy was quite contented then to go 
back to the cushion by the fire. He was 
very quiet and frightened all day and 
Richard was very much ashamed to think 
his pet had been so troublesome. 

‘Perhaps it will teach him a lesson, 
though,” said the little boy. “It’s his first 
112 



How Richard Named His Dog 


real adventure and he ought to remember 
it. 0 Mother, I have just thought of some¬ 
thing—let’s call him Tubby.” 

And Tubby he is to this day. 



113 





















The Little Lost Angel 

Once upon a time on that very first 
Christmas long long ago, when the Christ¬ 
mas angels came out of Heaven to sing 
their wonderful songs, there was a little 
angel who came with them. She tried to 
sing what they were all singing. But she 
was such a little angel she couldn’t sing 
very loud. To tell the truth, she didn’t 
quite know what the words were that the 
other angels were saying. 

“Glory to God in the Highest and on 
earth peace, good-will to men.” Yes, the 
little angel thought she could understand 
that but what was it the beautiful big 
angel was singing all alone? 

“Unto you is born a Saviour—Ye shall 
find the babe wrapped in swaddling 
clothes, lying in a manger.” 


114 


The Little Lost Angel 


What were swaddling clothes? thought 
the little angel—and what was a manger? 

She floated down to a small grassy knoll 
to ponder and found there all huddled 
together, the sheep that the wondering 
shepherds had forgotten. 

“Why, you lovely things,” cried she, 
“You are precious earth angels.” And she 
snuggled in among them and lay down to 
see what would happen. But because the 
lambs were so warm and cozy and because 
she was so tired flying about and trying to 
keep up with the rest of the host, the little 
angel fell asleep. 

When she awoke everything was still. 
The angels had gone away into Heaven 
and the shepherds had hurried off to find 
the Babe that the angels had sung about. 

“I am lost,” said the little angel, “I had 
better try and find my way back home. It 


115 



The Built-Upon House 


certainly is queer and dark and I think I’m 
a little chilly. I’m glad that big star is 
there.” 

By the light of the star she glided across 
the soft grass and out upon the roadway. 

“I think this is the way to go,” said the 
little angel bravely. “Perhaps I had better 
fly along and catch up with the others.” 

But it was not the multitude of the 
heavenly host that she came up to as she 
hurried along—only a man walking slowly 
along by himself—a man with his head 
hung upon his breast, a man who didn’t 
even see that lovely star in the sky above 
him. 

The lost angel looked at him wonder- 
ingly. 

“Why don’t you sing?” she asked. 

“Sing? What is there to sing about? 
Why should I sing?” growled the man. 


116 






“Here, You take It” 


Said the Angel, 


Thrusting the Harp into 


His Hands 


i 



117 













































































The Built-Upon House 


“It makes you happy to sing,” laughed 
the angel. 

She ran her fingers across the harp she 
was carrying and sang softly a little song. 
“There! isn’t that pretty?” 

“Very, very pretty,” said the man with 
a catch in his voice. 

“Here, you take it, you need it so bad¬ 
ly,” and quickly thrusting the harp into his 
hands the angel glided on ahead of him 
down the dusty road. 

“I think—I think this is the way to go,” 
she said again to herself. “Yes, I believe 
that is one of the big angels there ahead of 
me. 

But again it was not one of the angels. 
This time it was a woman. Her clothing 
was rich and gay but her face was hard and 
sullen. She replied crossly to the little 
angel when she spoke to her. 


118 



The Little Lost Angel 


“Go away,” said she. “What have I to 
do with you? I’m no fit person for a child 
to be seen with.” 

“I’m sure you’re very nice indeed,” 
whispered the little angel slipping her soft 
hand into the woman’s. “It’s only that 
you’ve forgotten.” 

“Forgotten? Forgotten what?” 

“That you’re a queen, you know. Every 
woman is a queen, only sometimes it’s hard 
to remember—especially if you’ve lost 
your crown. And so,” she added putting 
something into the woman’s hand—“you 
may have mine. And could you tell me 
please if you saw which way the angels 
went.” 

“The angels!” cried the woman. 

“You probably heard the flutter of their 
wings,” sighed the poor lost angel. “They 
must have flown very fast; I had better 
hurry.” 


119 



The Built-Upon House 


Half-flying, half-walking so that she 
could look about her, she went on her way 
a little more quickly now that she had no 
harp to carry in her hand and no crown 
upon her head. So fast did she go that she 
almost stumbled over a small figure that 
was sitting by the roadside,—a little boy 
alone and weary and crying as tho’ his 
heart would break. 

“Why—, why,—are you in some trouble, 
little child?” asked the angel stopping once 
more. “What is that strange sound you 
are making?” 

“I’m crying,” said the boy. “I’m sorry 
anyone heard. I just couldn’t help it, you 
know. A great King, they say, is to be 
found in the town beyond here and I 
wanted so much to see Him but the others 
have gone and left me behind. I’m lame, 
you see, and I can’t travel fast and I’m 


120 



The Little Lost Angel 


afraid by the time I get there the King 
will be gone.” 

“A King!” exclaimed the angel, “I 
thought it was a baby.” 

“It’s a King,” persisted the boy and he 
began to cry again. “Oh! what shall I do! 
I shall never get to Bethlehem to-night.” 

“Take my wings,” said the angel. “I 
think I’ll be able to get along without 
them. I’m not lame and you are, so you 
see it is you who should have the wings.” 

She fastened them to the boy’s should¬ 
ers—soft white fluttery things that caught 
the low night breezes and bore the boy 
forward in a gentle rapturous motion. 

“Thank you, oh, thank you,” he called 
back but the tiny angel hardly heard him. 
She was busy learning to walk without her 
wings. She hadn’t dreamed it would be so 
difficult. She kept falling to the ground 


121 



The Built-Upon House 


and her tender feet were cut and bruised 
by the rough stones in the road. 

“But the star is still there,” she thought 
bravely, “Oh see! there is a light at last.” 

Stumbling toward it she came near 
enough to see what it was. It was not a 
light from Heaven as she had thought but 
a candle shining thru the window of a 
humble home. 

“I feel very strange,” said the angel to 
herself. 

So she knocked and stood at the door 
waiting—a little thing with pleading eyes 
and tangled golden hair. 

A woman opened the door. When she 
saw the angel she uttered a loud exclama¬ 
tion. 

“0 Peter, come!” said she, “It’s a little 
child—just like an answer to our prayer. 
I knew something wonderful would hap- 

122 









































The Built-Upon House 


pen when I saw that star! It has brought 
us a child.” 

“Yes,” said the angel, “I came with the 
star.” 

The woman drew her into the house 
and shut the door. She bathed the soiled 
and bleeding feet and combed the tangled 
hair. Then she took the tiny angel into 
her arms and sang to her and the angel 
closed her eyes and thought she was in 
Heaven again. 

She stayed with the man Peter and his 
wife for many years. She helped the 
woman in the house and the man with his 
sheep in the field and almost forgot that 
she had ever been an angel. Only some¬ 
times she would stop in the midst of her 
work with a dreamy look on her face. 

“What art thou thinking about, my 
sweet?” the woman would say. 


124 



The Little Lost Angel 


“I thought—I thought I heard some¬ 
thing.” 

“Foolish one,” the man would say and 
he would stroke her hair gently. 

She missed them when they grew old 
and went away but she stayed alone in 
the little house and passers-by travelling 
from other lands always found there a wel¬ 
come and a meal. They told her from time 
to time of those high and great whom they 
had seen or heard about; a poet who sang 
straight into the hearts of men; a woman 
who spent her life helping the poor and 
needy; a leader of the people, lame, it is 
true, but young and inspired. And the 
angel herself, now growing old, heard 
them gently with a smile. She never knew 
that the poet was the man to whom she 
had given her harp—that the great- 

125 



The Built-Upon House 


hearted woman was the one to whom she 
had given her crown—and that the be¬ 
loved leader was the boy who had taken 
her wings. 



126 























































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